Fish-weir



(No Model.)

` s.. H. HARDING.

FISH WEIR.

No. 397,644. Patented Feb. l2, 1889.Y

N. PETERS, mammography, wmingwn, n.0.

ATENT Orifice.

SILAS H. IIARDING, OF CHATHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

FISH-WEIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,644, dated February 12, 1889. Application filed December 17, 1888- Serial No.293,828 (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAS H. HARDING, of Chatham, in the county of Barnstable, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fish-Teils of which the following is a description sufriciently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a top plan view of my improved fish-Weir; Fig. 2, an enlarged side elevation ot' a section of the side nets in position; Fig. 3, an enlarged elevation of one of the stakes, showing the method of attaching the nets thereto; and Fig. et, an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the latchetrope and latchets.

Like letters and iigures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the diierent iigures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to that class of iish-weirs which are particularly adapted for sea or salt-water fishing; and it consists in a novel arrangement of parts whereby a cheaper and more effective device of this character is produced than is nowin ord inary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the bowl or pound of the Weir, and B C the guides or runs. The bowl consists of a series of vertically-arranged stakes, b, driven into the ground in the form of a circle, the row of stakes at one side of the bowl ruiming toward the center thereof, forming the mouth D, said stakes being of such length that their upper ends are above the water. The inner stakes, Zi', are a sufficient distance apart to permit a boat to pass between them into the bowl. A side net, l-I, extends completely around the bowl and is secured by its upper edge to the tops of the stakes b. To the lower edge of the net are secured ropes d, (see Fig. 3,) which pass through openings in the lower ends of the stakes and are fastened by a half-hitch, f, or similar easily-detachable manner, to the upper portion ot' said stakes. The bottom K of JLhe bowl consists of a horizontally-arranged net divided into two sections, lm, the outer edges of said sections being secured in any suitable manner to the lower edge of the side net, II. Extending centrally from the mouth D along the bottom of the bowl and between the sections of net Z w1, to a stake, b, directly opposite said mouth, is the backbone or latchet-rope P. Secured to the back-bone P at suitable distances are loops or latchets p, of small rope or line, (see Fig. 4,) and at correponding distances in the adjacent edges of each section oi' the bottom net, K, are fastened thimbles 2f, through which said latchets may be threaded.

The guides or runs B consist of two series of stakes, b, provided with nets e, arranged in lines which converge toward each other, forming a heart-shaped inclosure which opens at one end opposite the mouth D of the bowl.

The guides or runs C consist of a central row of stakes, g, provided with a net, t', on each side of which is disposed-a diagonallyarranged series of stakes, j, provided with nets It', said runs opening into the end of the heart-shaped run opposite the mouth of the bowl.

The bowl-nets being arranged on the stakes as described, the bottom nets are secured to the backbone P by threading each latchet through a thimble, t, and through the loop of the preceding latchet, as shown in Fig. 4, the end of the last latchet in the series being secured to the stakes b', where they can be readily released.

In the use of my improvement the fish are driven into the runs C, and, seeking deep water, they follow the course of the nets forming said runs, being thereby guided into the bowl A. In taking the iish from the bowl the lines d are released and each section of the bottom net dragged toward the edge of said bowl in a manner that will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters without a more explicit description. The lines d are of such length that they will not be withdrawn from the openin gs in the bottom of the stakes when the nets are dragged.

As ordinarily constructed, the bottom nets of iish-weir bowls are formed in one piece.

Grass and other deposits rapidly accumulate on said nets, necessitating their frequent removal for the purpose of cleaning them. These depositsrender the nets exceedingly heavy and difficult to handle. By dividing the nets an d attaching them as in my improvement the nets are much more easily manipulated, as well as being less expensive to construct.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim 'isl. In a slrweir, a bowl comprising a side net secured to the Weir-stakes and a bottom net secured to said side net, said bottom net being in two sections, adjacent edges of which are detachably secured to a centrally-arranged latchet-rope, substantially as described.

2. In a fish-Weir, the bowl A, comprising` -the side net, I-I, secured by its upper edge to Weir-stakes h, its lower edge being detachably secured to said stakes by lines d, passing through openings in the lower ends thereof, and a bottom net, K, secured to said side net and formed in two sections, adjacent edges of said sections being detaehably secured to a rope, P, by latchets p, substantially as set forth.

In a ish-weir, the combination of the side net, II, secured to stakes Z9, and provided with lines d, running in eyes in the lower ends of said stakes, the bottom net, K, constructed in sections Z m, and secured to the lower edge of said side net, the centrallyarranged latchet-rope P, provided with latchetsp, and the thimbles t, disposed in adjacent edges of said net-sections, all being arranged to operate substantially as described.

SILAS H. HARDING.

lVitnesses:

XVARREN ROGERS, CLARA E. Roenes. 

